More about friction

More about friction

How is friction related to energy?

Materials

two track sections
board with hook
two large balls
a few pieces of paper towel, or a soft cloth
the force scale
a book, or another object to use as a weight
several pieces of notebook paper
two round pencils

1. Place the board on a surface, with the hook downwards, and place the two track sections on it. We are going to launch the balls down the incline. Place the paper towel so that one of the balls will roll on it after it leaves the track; let the other ball roll on the table surface. Compare how they move. Which ball retains its kinetic energy best?

2. Place the board on the surface with the hook upwards and a book on the board. Use the force scale to measure the friction force. How much energy does it take to move the board 1 meter? Can you detect the presence of the energy you have just given it?

3. Place several pieces of paper under the board, and make it slide. This will cause some of the pieces of paper to move. Discuss the implications of the Law of Interaction.

4. Put the round pencils underneath the board, so that they act as rollers. What effect does this have on the friction force?

Check the box when you are done:

Science content: friction